Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Says Enactment of PA ABC Would Help More Than 8,000 Uninsured Adults in Schuylkill County

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POTTSVILLE, Pa., May 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G.
Rendell said today that there are more than 8,000 uninsured adults in
Schuylkill County - nearly 1,000 of whom are on a waiting list to receive
health care coverage - who urgently need the state Senate to approve a plan
to help them gain access to health insurance.

"Hundreds of thousands of uninsured Pennsylvania adults live with the
very real fear that a sudden illness could lead to unnecessary suffering
and even bankruptcy," the Governor said. "In addition, for the businesses
and individuals struggling to make ends meet while continuing to pay hefty
insurance premiums, continued lack of action in adopting a program to cover
the uninsured means ever-increasing health care costs."

The Governor was in Pottsville to discussing the plight of the
uninsured with the staff at the Schuylkill Alliance for Health Care, and to
call for passage of Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (PA ABC), a health
care plan that would be offered through the private market and subsidized
by state and federal government for small, low-wage businesses without
insurance and uninsured individuals. The Schuylkill Alliance helps
Schuylkill County residents find access to affordable quality health care,
by matching uninsured individuals up with primary care physicians and
helping cover a portion of the cost.

The Governor said a recent study that showed a decrease in the total
number of employers providing health insurance in Pennsylvania is
especially troublesome. Between 2000 and 2006, more workers in Pennsylvania
lost employer-provided health insurance than workers in any other state,
except California.

"Public opinion polls show increasing anxiety about the current health
system, as more employers shed coverage benefits and premium costs outpace
inflation each year," Governor Rendell said. "If the remaining key
components of the Prescription for Pennsylvania are not enacted, especially
ABC and the insurance reforms, even more working Pennsylvanians are likely
to lose coverage.

"A story in the New York Times just this week said a recent poll by the
Kaiser Family Foundation found that in the past year, 42 percent of
Americans said they or a family member postponed or skipped treatment, did
not fill a prescription, cut pills in half or skipped doses, or had
problems getting mental health care because they had difficulties affording
health care," the Governor said. "That statistic is stunning."

As the cost of health care has soared 75 percent over the past five
years, and wages have only risen 13 percent, thousands of Pennsylvanians
are struggling to provide health insurance coverage for their families.
According to an Insurance Department study, there are 767,000 uninsured
adults in Pennsylvania. Some 70 percent of the uninsured cite cost as the
main reason for not having health insurance coverage. Bringing down the
cost of coverage would help individuals and small businesses who
desperately need coverage.

"The vast majority of Pennsylvania's uninsured adults have full-time
jobs and many are employed by small businesses. Most workers earn low wages
and do not have access to health insurance because of the high cost of
premiums for businesses and individuals. The Pennsylvania Access to Basic
Care program is an essential step towards solving these problems," said
Governor Rendell.

The Governor said 71 percent of uninsured adults in Pennsylvania are
employed, 76 percent of uninsured adults have household incomes of less
than $60,000 for a family of four and 27 percent of uninsured adults have
been without health care coverage for more than five years.

Families USA released a study that estimates that approximately 710
working-age Pennsylvanians died as a result of lacking health care in 2006,
which is nearly two people every day. Nationally, the lack of health
insurance was responsible for twice as many deaths as homicide in 2006.

Prescription for Pennsylvania is Governor Rendell's plan to: ensure
access to affordable health insurance for all Pennsylvanians; expand access
to health care; improve the quality of care; and help bring health care
costs under control for employers and workers. PA ABC is the health
insurance plan set forth by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,
which builds on the Governor's Prescription for Pennsylvania proposal. It
passed the House in March with bi-partisan support.

Health coverage under PA ABC will be offered through private insurance
companies. Employers can participate if they have not offered health care
coverage to their employees for at least six months, if they have 50 or
fewer employees and, if, on average, these employees earn less than 300
percent of the federal poverty level, or $31,200 per year.

All uninsured adults in Pennsylvania - no matter what their employment
status or income level - will be able to purchase affordable health
insurance through this program at the same premium rate the commonwealth
pays. In addition, an individual from a family of four that earns up to
$42,400 a year will receive help from the state in paying part of his or
her PA ABC premium.

"It isn't only the uninsured consumer who pays a price," the Governor
said. "About 6.5 percent of insurance premiums paid by businesses and
individuals goes just to cover the cost of health care for the uninsured.
As a result, every Pennsylvanian pays the cost of having an inadequate
health care system."

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public
education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing
economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out
more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly
newsletter, visit: http://www.governor.state.pa.us.
County Adult Basic Total Number of Uninsured % Uninsured Per

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